The Lakers’ latest addition may not close the door on Jonathan Kuminga, but it sure makes the room feel a lot tighter.
On Monday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Los Angeles has agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with Ziaire Williams, a young wing who fits a similar mold to Kuminga. Charania also said the Lakers are still “to strongly pursue Jonathan Kuminga as a potential starting forward,” but the Williams signing reads like a hedge as much as a roster move.
That’s the tension here. Los Angeles has put forward what’s been described as an underwhelming two-year, $20 million offer for Kuminga, and getting him to that neighborhood would require a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks. So far, the Hawks have not been willing to absorb Jarred Vanderbilt’s contract plus a future pick, which leaves the Lakers in a holding pattern.
The Williams move adds another layer. The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported that people inside the Lakers organization did not view Williams and Kuminga as an either/or situation, but the timing still makes the signing look like insurance in case the Kuminga chase falls apart. It also pushes the Lakers to their full 15-man roster, though that doesn’t necessarily block a Kuminga deal because Vanderbilt and/or another piece would need to be moved in a sign-and-trade anyway.
Williams gives the Lakers a player who was drafted three picks after Kuminga in 2021, when the Memphis Grizzlies took him at No. 10 and the Warriors grabbed Kuminga at No. 7. Williams has spent the last two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, and last season he averaged 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals while playing 22.9 minutes per game.
He was also mentioned earlier in free agency as a possible Warriors target. The San Fransisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami said Golden State might have interest in Williams and veteran sharpshooter Gary Trent Jr. on minimum deals. Both players have since found homes, with Williams landing with the Lakers and Trent signing a four-year, $64 million deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Los Angeles is trying to land Kuminga after losing Rui Hachimura and LeBron James, while the Warriors are pursuing James in a twist that would be hard to ignore if both players end up on opposite sides of the Pacific rivalry.
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